Film industry in Abu Dhabi produces blockbuster subsidy

posted on 21/05/2012

Movies and television shows shot in Abu Dhabi will soon qualify for a 30 per cent subsidy under an initiative that is expected to save filmmakers millions of dollars in production costs.

The media zone twofour54, along with the related Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC), said international productions made in the emirate would qualify for a rebate on spending of up to 30 per cent.

"We want to properly encourage studios to see Abu Dhabi and the UAE as the go-to place," said Noura Al Kaabi, the chief executive of twofour54.

The incentive scheme was announced at the Cannes Film Festival, which runs until May 27. The Abu Dhabi Film Commission announced at the festival that several Emirati filmmakers had been chosen to promote the UAE film industry. The representatives include Nawaf Al Janahi, who directed the movie Sea Shadow.

Film executives said the incentive scheme, which starts in September, could result in the number of days in which films are shot in the emirate increasing by as much as half.

"It's definitely the answer to boosting the industry in Abu Dhabi," said Tim Smythe, the chief executive of the production house Filmworks, which facilitated the shooting of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol in Dubai. "In 2013, I would say that there's going to be a 30 to 50 per cent boost."

The film rebate is billed as the "region's first incentive scheme", twofour54 said. It will apply to feature films, TV programmes, documentaries, and advertising and music video production.

Costs eligible for the rebate include contracting UAE-registered film crews, costs for temporary accommodation and flights booked on Etihad Airways.

However, Mr Smythe said that the scheme could attract productions away from neighbouring Dubai - and called for a nationwide system of rebates. "It has a very strong potential of taking business out of Dubai, especially as more and more locations come online in Abu Dhabi," he said. "If it's done on a national level, it would boost the industry tremendously. Because it's not just Abu Dhabi locations that films would be looking at, it's locations throughout the whole of the UAE."

Ali Mostafa, the director of City of Life, the UAE's first major home-grown film, said he hoped Dubai would follow Abu Dhabi's lead. "This is one of the first incentive schemes that has happened in the region," he said. "It's definitely a big step in the right direction. I hope Dubai follows suit with the same thing."

Ms Al Kaabi said twofour54 was in discussions to offer something similar in other emirates. "We've been discussing with Dubai Studio City about how we will collaborate in the future with our scheme," she said.

Michael Garin, the chief executive of the Abu Dhabi film company Image Nation, said the 30 per cent rebate was in line with film incentives in other countries. "This will make Abu Dhabi extremely competitive in the international arena," said Mr Garin. "We're delighted with this decision, because now it will allow Abu Dhabi to compete on a level playing field for production."

Image Nation is part of Abu Dhabi Media, which also owns and publishes The National.

Projects commissioned by companies based in the UAE will not be eligible for the scheme. However, co-productions between a UAE company and an international partner will be eligible for the rebates, according to the ADFC.

Mr Garin said Image Nation often collaborated with international companies, and so it would benefit. "Image Nation will be able to further expand its activities and attract international productions and co-productions to Abu Dhabi," he said.

Examples of blockbusters to be filmed in Abu Dhabi include part of The Bourne Legacy, twofour54 said. Government-sanctioned incentive schemes are common in big international film markets.

"The majority of films made are being shot in cities or countries where there are incentives," said Mr Smythe. But such schemes have been slow to take off in the Gulf region. This is partly because they often rely on tax breaks in other markets, and there is only minimal taxation levied in countries such as the UAE. – The National

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Masdar aims high as world's first carbon free city

posted on 21/05/2012

Seoul - UAE has the world's sixth largest proven crude oil reserves of 98billion barrels and fifth largest natural gas reserves of 21.3 trillion cubic feet. Fossil fuels are non-renewable resources because they take millions of years to form, and reserves are doomed to be depleted much faster than new ones are being made. The production and use of fossil fuels raise environmental concerns. That is why a global movement toward the generation of renewable energy is well under way to help meet increased energy needs as well as to save our planet from global warming.

In a bid to get an answer to this crucial question, Moon Il-suk, publisher and editor of a local language leading online news portal the breaknews.com made an observation tour of Masdar city in Abu Dhabi from April 29 to May 3 at the invitation of the National Media Council (NMC) of the United Arab Emirates.

A total of US$22 billion is being poured into carbon-free Masdar City project for completion of 2016 to which 1,500 plus environment-related business establishments are also scheduled to move in.

Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST) serves as an academic magnet that attracts scientists, researchers, and technology businesses to the UAE and the region while creating awareness among the trade visitors and clean energy professionals about its academic programs and research offerings that focus on green energy and sustainable technologies. About 250 students from more than 60 countries are currently enrolled at the institute with 60 professors.

The centre-piece of Masdar City, one of the most sustainable and low-carbon cities in the world, MIST provides students an unparalleled opportunity in the entire spectrum of research, from theory to applied research to commercialisation in a single location, according to Dr. Jerald Yoo, a KAIST graduate of South Korea, who has been appointed as an assistant professor at the MIST by the recommendation of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) since April 1, 2010.

Dr. Yoo went on to say that the 10MW PV plant in Masdar City consisting of 87,777 panels of thin film and crystalline silicon technologies, and connected to the Abu Dhabi National Grid has so far generated approximately 36,000MWh of clean energy. The plant is a net exporter of energy to the grid after it meets the entire energy needs of the MIST in Masdar City.

The success of the 10MW PV plant is a good example of how Masdar integrates research, development and innovation with investment, sustainable production, and deployment.

Masdar Power is currently constructing the 100MW Shams One, one of the largest concentrated solar power plants of its kind in the world and the largest in the Middle East.

Located at Madinat Zayed, 120km southwest of Abu Dhabi city, the project, is on schedule for completion towards the end of 2012.

Masdar is Abu Dhabi's multi-faceted initiative advancing the development, commercialisation and deployment of renewable and alternative energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a link between today's fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future - developing the "greenprint" for how we will live and work tomorrow.

UAE, in the meantime, is taking initiative in reducing UAE environmental officials are determined to ban all plastic carrier bags by 2013 in a bid to reduce the amount of waste the country produces. In the case of 2011, at least 11 billion pieces of plastic bags are presumed to have used in UAE of which 53.3 percent are not reused and end up in landfill sites.

By 2013, UAE environmental officials want all residents to use alternatives like cotton or biodegradable plastic bags instead for "zero plastic bag use." The production and disposal of plastic adds to CO2 emissions, and the dumping of them contributes to pollution problems, as well as threatens wildlife. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Al Ain Zoo aviary gets two new exotic residents

posted on 21/05/2012

Al Ain Zoo had added two Kori Bustards, a bird from eastern and southern Africa, to enhance its collection more than 300 birds from 25 different species.

The Kori Bustard is a large bird with mottled greyish-buff colouration, dark brown vermiculation, and a distinct white stripe over each eye. This terrestrial bird hails from Eastern and Southern Africa where it roams across open grasslands and wooded savannahs.

Majid Al Qasimi, Assistant Associate Veterinarian at Al Ain Zoo, said the addition of the Kori Bustard to the Spoonbill Aviary is an exciting opportunity for bird enthusiasts. "This beautiful unusual species further increases the diversity of the birds on exhibit at Al Ain Zoo, with our aviary also housing Spoonbill, Hadada Ibis and Macaw," he said.

Although omnivorous, Kori Bustards tend to be more carnivorous than other species of bustards and feed on small mammals, lizards, snakes, seeds, plant berries, as well as insects and chicks.

The bird is listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), meaning that it is not currently threatened with extinction but may become so unless trade of the species is strictly regulated.

Al Ain Zoo, founded in 1968, is home to an internationally important conservation programme focusing on the wildlife of the world's arid regions. The zoo is involved in conservation research, captive breeding and propagation and the reintroduction of threatened species to their wild habitats.

It is also a member of the World Association of Zoos and Aquaria. Strategic partner of leading zoos, conservation agencies and associations from across the world, including the World Conservation Union and Species Survival Commission, Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi, San Diego Zoo, Edinburgh Zoo, the Northern Rangelands Trust of Kenya and the Sahara Conservation Fund. – Gulf News

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Dubai Customs and the International Fund for Animal Welfare sign MoU

posted on 21/05/2012

Dubai Customs inked Sunday, a cooperative agreement with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) aiming at joint coordination between the two sides over a number of fields particularly in the area of customs training on combat of smuggling endangered fauna and flora, exchange of information and expertise and benefiting from the facilities and capabilities available to IFAW.

The signature of this agreement came as part of Dubai Customs` awareness campaign about endangered species organised within the framework of the exhibition held by Dubai Customs over one week in Mirdif City Centre displaying samples and models of some endangered species.

The Agreement was signed in Mirdif City Centre by Feryal Tawakul, Executive Director of Community Affairs and Government Partnership Division and Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Ahmed Mohammed, Director of the Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa in IFWA.

"The agreement aims at enhancing the efforts to protect endangered fauna and flora, supporting legitimate trade worldwide, strengthening cooperation and mutual relations between Dubai Customs and IFAW and proceeding with developing and diversifying specialised training programmes at Customs Training Centre in such a way that will contribute to develop human resources competency and improving wild and tame animals` life through minimising commercial utilisation of such animals," said Ms. Tawakul.

"The cooperative agreement provides for the coordination between the two sides over preparing and implementing a training programme for Dubai Customs inspectors on combating illegitimate international trading in wild life, implementing the Convention on International Trading In Endangered Species (CITES), selecting efficient trainers by IFAW to conduct such training and providing the information on protecting and safeguarding wild life.

The agreement provides as well for the joint coordination between the two parties over organising specialised educational and awareness events in connection with wild life. "Dubai Customs always directs its staff and enhances their abilities towards conserving nature and wildlife and protecting endangered species from illegal trading in cooperation with its local and international clients on top of which is the Ministry of Water and environment, and the World Customs Organisation" Ms. Tawakul pointed out.

Dr. Elsayed Ahmed Ahmed, the Director of the Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa praised Dubai Customs' continuing effort to foil attempts to smuggle and illegally trade in endangered fauna and flora specially that Dubai Customs is a contracting party to the CITES. "The existing joint coordination between the two sides is continuing in different areas and the MOU will support the specialised training programmes for Dubai Customs` inspectors," Ahmed said. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Mangrove fears over Emirates eco-tourism project

posted on 21/05/2012

On the outskirts of the town of Kalba is the last remaining natural mangrove forest on the UAE's east coast.

Some species of endangered birds, marine animals and reptiles here have no other home in the Emirates.

Since February, the area has been declared protected and placed off-bounds for fishermen and four-wheel drives, which used to frequent the adjacent beach, destroying the sand dunes.

Conservationists have welcomed the protection, but many are nervous about another aspect of the project - a nearby tourism development to be built over the next six years. Plans for the development have not been finalised, but it is supposed to take into account the endangered species.

"I am pleased to learn that the conservation issues are being taken seriously," said Richard Hornby, associate partner at Abu Dhabi-based Nautica Environmental Associates.

"I hope these [tourism development] plans are well-conceived and produce the right results," said Mr Hornby, who has been studying the area since the 1990s.

The way in which the development is constructed will determine what happens to the endangered wildlife. But Khor Kalba's future will also help answer a larger question that has long been on the lips of tourism and conservation experts - can eco-tourism work in the UAE?

Oscar Campbell, chairman of the Emirates Bird Records Committee, is not so sure.

"Given the record of development in this country, you have a right to be cautious," he said. "In principle, the idea of some development is okay, but they really need to know what they are doing."

Eco-tourism at Kalba "is possible, but it needs to be planned by ecologists and developers together," said Dr Benno Boer, ecological sciences adviser at UNESCO's regional office in Doha. "It needs to be really hand-in-hand," said Dr Boer, who studied Khor Kalba extensively in the mid-1990s.

The tourism development will be under the auspices of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). It will be constructed at the site of an old fish factory near the Kalba Lagoon.

The authority is inviting investors to build resorts and eco-lodges with the total investment expected to reach Dh1 billion, said Marwan Al Sarkal, chief executive of Shurooq. The number of rooms in the overall development has been capped at 300.

"You will never see giant cement structures around," he said. "Everything will have to respect the environment."

Whether Khor Kalba ends up as a win-win for both conservation and tourism will depend on a number of factors but, most importantly, on how the construction and operation of the tourism facilities are managed.

"They really need to take specialist advice on what the impacts will be," said Mr Campbell.

The impact will depend on the total area of beach covered, the type of facilities planned, as well as on who is involved in planning and building it.

"It depends on what quality of developers are being brought in," said Dr Boer. "If it is people with no experience in this kind of work, they are very likely to do more damage than good."

One key issue is sustaining tidal flow to the mangrove forest. This can be easily disrupted if nearby channels are dredged or marinas and other structures are built in a way that changes the flow of sea water. The issue is essential for the survival of the mangroves: too much water and they drown, too little and they dry up.

The mangroves and their inhabitants can take little additional pressure.

Last year, Mr Campbell and his colleagues studied a population of white-collared kingfisher, which can be found nowhere else in the world but in Khor Kalba, and in two smaller sites in Oman. The birds' population had already declined significantly since 1995, when they were first studied. Even a small disturbance to the mangrove forest can spell disaster for them. They cannot live in another location. "If the developers get this wrong, the kingfisher has nowhere else to go," Mr Campbell said. – The National

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UAE will fire up gas export forum

posted on 21/05/2012

The UAE is to be congratulated on joining the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) after the Cabinet approval on May 15, as reported by Gulf News. The decision has been expected for some time since the first GECF summit in Doha last November when Oman also joined the organisation.

The GECF now has 13 of the world's leading natural gas producers in its ranks in Algeria, Bolivia, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Iran, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Trinidad and Tobago, Oman, the UAE and Venezuela in addition to Norway, Kazakhstan and the Netherlands as observers. Members of GECF control about 70 per cent of the world's gas reserves and probably more than 60 per cent of exports, a share set to touch 70 per cent by 2020.

Wood Mackenzie's Global Gas Model forecast exports from GECF countries in 2020 to be 1,038 billion cubic metres (bcm), up from 488 bcm in 2007 and much more than total non-GECF exports, which are likely to rise to 430 bcm from 325 bcm in the same period. Now that Oman and the UAE are members, the organisation's reserves, production and exports are only expected to rise.

The UAE will find it advantageous to coordinate with other members on avenues of cooperation, exchanging views and information, cooperating with buyer nations to maintain the stability of the gas market, supporting the sovereign rights of members over their natural gas resources, and to preserve and use such resources for the benefit of their peoples, and possibly investing together.

Further down the line the opportunity may arise to have a better management of gas prices, which have been under pressure in the last few years and are far below a level of parity with oil prices on an energy-equivalent basis.

The UAE oil industry started off in 1939 with the award of the first exploration concession but it was not until 1960 that oil was discovered in Abu Dhabi's Bab field which was preceded by the discovery in 1959 of the offshore Umm Shaif field. Attention later turned to natural gas and Gasco was incorporated in 1978 and is now one of the largest gas processing companies in the world. Gas reserves grew from 2.4 trillion cubic metres (tcm) in 1980 to 6 tcm in 2010 or about 3.2 per cent of world reserves of 187 tcm. Production, which was a modest 1.5 bcm in 1971, grew to almost 51 bcm in 2010. Consumption in the same period rose from 1.3 bcm to 60.5 bcm.

The steady demand has been met by the phased development of free gas fields onshore and offshore and the imports of gas from Qatar by pipeline, in addition to a small quantity of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The first gas liquefaction company in the region was established by the UAE in 1973. The plant on Das Island with an initial annual production capacity of 2.5 million tonnes of LNG and 800,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) marked the start of long-term exports in 1977.

The plant capacity was doubled in 1994 and its exports of LNG in 2010 were 7.9 bcm or 5.8 million tonnes mainly to Japan and other Asian countries.

The increased demand for gas and the desire to maintain exports is currently driving the UAE to develop the Shah gas field. The field is complex and difficult to develop as the gas is sour, but technology and knowhow are now available for such fields. Its raw gas capacity is over 10 bcm a year and on completion in 2014 it will deliver about 5.6 bcm of sweet natural gas a year to the national network.

The petrochemical industry in the UAE is based on gas feedstock. The petrochemical company Borouge was established in 1998 to produce plastics and expanded to a capacity of two million tonnes a year in the second half of 2010.

With such credentials, no wonder the UAE decided to join GECF. As for the other members, they are now more assured of the future evolution of the organisation. By Saadallah Al Fathi, Special to Gulf News The writer is former head of Energy Studies Department at the OPEC Secretariat in Vienna.

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Etisalat cuts broadband rate to push fast service

posted on 21/05/2012

Etisalat has slashed its broadband charges and says further price cuts are to come to mark a new era of competition with its rival du. The operator said it had cut the price of its basic broadband package in the UAE and was studying a reduction of landline calling rates by 10 to 30 per cent.

It hopes to entice users away from slower internet connections running at 256 kilobits per second (kbps) and 512kbps.

Rashid Majid Al Abbar, the vice president of home products marketing for Etisalat, said the company had cut the price of its 1 megabits per second (mbps) internet package to Dh189 (US$32.52), down from Dh259 per month.

The package Mr Al Abbar was referring to also includes a landline connection. The rate cut was made in the "last few weeks”, he added. Consumer broadband fees in the UAE are among the most expensive in the world, according to the consultancy Ovum.

Entry-level broadband subscriptions cost US$868 annually in the UAE – more than eight times the cost of a basic connection in countries such as Russia, India and Ukraine, Ovum said in a report issued last August.

Etisalat's competitor du currently charges Dh249 per month for a 1mbps internet connection. However, it also has a package priced at Dh199 that includes faster 8mbps internet plus a landline.

Etisalat's move to reduce broadband prices comes ahead of a planned liberalisation of the telecoms market in the UAE. The two operators are restricted to selling broadband, television and fixed-line telephone connections within specific areas of the UAE.

But under a much-delayed plan, the two operators are set to compete freely on fixed-line services, starting later this year.

Du did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mr Al Abbar said the move by Etisalat was part of a plan to entice customers to use faster internet connections.

"That is the long-term strategy,” he said. "We want to have more high-speed customers.”

Eventually, Etisalat will stop offering 256kbps and 512kbps packages, said Mr Al Abbar. "If customers are willingly migrating to these higher speeds, then eventually we see, down the line, we will not have these services,” he said.

Etisalat also said it was studying the possibility of reducing the charges for calls made from UAE landlines.

The operator is proposing "rate cuts of 10 to 30 per cent on local, as well as international calls to specific destinations”, Mr Abbar said. The international destinations to which calling charges will be cut are "not yet finalised”, he added. But he said the countries under consideration include those in the Arab world and Asia.

The reduced landline rates should be implemented in the second half of this year, Mr Al Abbar said. Such a move will require the approval of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. – The National

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Google-owned YouTube works on adding adverts to UAE domain

posted on 21/05/2012

After celebrating its seventh anniversary yesterday Google-owned YouTube is working on adding advertisements to its UAE domain.

Google acquired YouTube for US$1.65 billion (Dh6 billion) in 2006.

"Having a local domain is step one, which we did a month ago. Now we are working on it because we have to go through the legal steps to implement it," Mohammad Murad, regional manager at Google Gulf, told Gulf News.

If Mena was a single country, he said it would be the second biggest after the US and third behind Brazil. The video-sharing site gets 167 million views per day.

"YouTube has four billion views per day globally while 800 million people visited YouTube on a monthly basis. In a minute, one hour of video is uploaded regionally and 72 hours of video globally," he said.

According to Abbas Jaffar Ali, Publisher of t-break Media, YouTube is the biggest video site on the internet.

"We have broadband connection problems in certain parts of the region. Once that is taken care of, the growth will be even more," he said.

In the Gulf, people are spending three hours on the internet, but most of the content is developed for the TV platform.

Better videos

"We believe that once we allow partners to make money in YouTube, then the whole ecosystem will be triggered and users will have better videos posted locally," Murad said.

Right now, YouTube does not make money from its UAE domain. Our aim is to help "partners make money," he said.

"If you take into account the internet penetration rate in the region which is not very high, the number of uses per internet user in the region is the highest in the world," he said.

Google does not provide content on YouTube, it is the users and partners that provide the content.

According to comScore report, viewers spent an average of 434.8 minutes in April watching video on Google channels.

That represents a small increase of 55 per cent over April 2011.

On Yahoo channels, meanwhile, viewers spent an average of 73.7 minutes in April watching video, nearly double the 37.5 minutes they averaged in April 2011.

"YouTube will be considering adding subscription content to its streaming platform in a bid to attract video from larger media corporations," Murad said. – Gulf News

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Emirates NBD wins three Global Finance Awards for 2012

posted on 21/05/2012

Emirates NBD, the leading Bank in the region, won "Best Bank in UAE", "Best Trade Finance Bank in UAE" and "Best Foreign Exchange Provider in the UAE" for the year 2012 from Global Finance magazine. These awards granted by Global Finance, a monthly magazine headquartered in New York, reflects Emirates NBD's position as a leading bank with an increasingly significant presence regionally and globally.

"Winning the "Best Bank in UAE" Award for the ninth consecutive year as well as "Best Trade Finance Bank in UAE" and "Best Foreign Exchange Provider in the UAE" for several years from the prestigious magazine Global Finance, primarily reflects the effort of our employees to take Emirates NBD to new heights while providing excellent services that are in line with world-class standards. These accolades further represent the Bank's dedication towards achieving its mission and vision while focusing on maintaining its position as a leader in the region," Rick Pudner, Chief Executive Officer of Emirates NBD said.

In addition to being rated amongst the 50 top regional companies in the Hawkamah ESG Pan Arab Index and topping the Brand Simplicity Index' as the region's No.1 Retail Banking Brand, Emirates NBD has recently won several awards, including the Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport', Specialist Fund of the Year' at the 2012 MENA Fund Manager Performance Awards for its Emirates Global Sukuk Fund, Best Private Sector Customer Service Initiative' and Best Large Bank: Service Quality' at the 2011 Bank Benchmarking Index Award and "Best Customer Attraction", "Best Online Experience", "Best Customer Impressions and Interactions" and "Best Overall Customer Experience" at the Customer360ME Summit and Awards 2012.

In an exclusive survey published in May 2012 issue of the magazine, Global Finance editors with input from industry analysts, corporate executives and banking consultants selected the best emerging market bank in 12 countries in the region. Criteria for choosing the winners included growth in assets, profitability, strategic relationships, customer service, competitive pricing, and innovative products. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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UAE's non-oil trade in 2011 reaches Dh927.7 billion

posted on 21/05/2012

The non-oil foreign trade sector in United Arab Emirates surged to around Dh1 trillion during 2011, according to recent figures released yesterday by the Federal Customs Authority (FCA).

With a year-on-year growth rate of 23%, the UAE's non-oil trade in 2011 increased by Dh173.4 billion, up from Dh754.3 billion in 2010 to Dh927.7 billion in 2011, FCA said.

FCA said the growth curve reflects a systematic monthly rate fluctuating between 20% and 23% manifesting an annual growth rate of 23% is neither "which is neither an accidental nor contingent result but the fruit of the successful policies followed by the government."

"Ten countries dominate around 61% of the total value of the imports of UAE. The total value of UAE imports was about Dh369.6 billion in 2011. India comes on the top of these countries with an import volume of Dh105 billion, followed by China with Dh55 billion, USA with Dh52.3 billion, Germany with Dh30.7 billion and Japan with Dh30 billion," FCA said in the press release.

"Ten countries receive around 69% of the UAE's exports which totalled Dh78.3 billion. India came in the first place, followed by Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. The total value of non oil trade between the UAE and GCC amounted to Dh63.2 billion in 2011, with Dh27.8 billion worth of imports, Dh13.2 billion worth of exports and Dh22.1 billion of re-exports.

Saudi Arabia, in terms of non-oil trade with the UAE, topped the list of GCC States by Dh26.7 billion, followed by Kuwait Dh11.3 billion, Oman Dh8.8 billion, Bahrain h8.7 billion and Qatar with Dh7.7 billion.

"The UAE's total foreign trade with Arab countries in terms of value amounted to Dh116.4 billion in 2011 with Dh54.6 billion worth of imports, Dh21.9 billion worth of exports and Dh40 billion of re-exports." Saudi Arabia topped the list of Arab states in terms of non-oil trade with the UAE in 2011, followed by Sudan, Iraq, Oman, Morocco, Kuwait , Bahrain, Libya, Egypt, Qatar, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, Algeria, Syria, Mauritania, Somalia, Tunisia, Palestine, Djibouti and Comoros.

The preliminary statistical data of 2011 showed that gold ranked first among imports with a value of Dh99.9 billion, followed by diamond with Dh59.3 billion, cars with Dh28 billion, ornaments and jewellery with Dh23.3 billion, and telephone sets with Dh7.3 billion, tractors accessories, private cars, coaches and vans with Dh7.2 billion.

Gold, according to FCA, also came first among exports in 2011 with Dh62 billion, followed by fire-fighting, guiding equipment and ships with Dh4.3 billion, petroleum oils and other derivatives with Dh3.8 billion, un-fabricated aluminium with Dh2.1 billion and ornaments and jewellery with Dh2 billion.

On the level of re-exports, diamond came first with a total value of Dh62.8 billion, followed by ornaments and jewellery and related parts Dh18 billion, cars Dh12.7 billion and telephones sets Dh10.4 billion.

The total trade volume of UAE free zones and markets in 2011 amounted to Dh15.8 billion with Dh7.6 billion worth of imports, Dh2.8 billion worth of exports and Dh40 billion of re-exports. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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Dh500m fund set up for Emirati entrepreneurs

posted on 21/05/2012

A newly created Dh500 million SME fund will be launched to provide equity funding for Emirati entrepreneurs and possibly third party investors in various sectors.

The Khalifa Fund for Enterprise Development (KFED) and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD) plan to launch the Imtiyaz SME Development Fund, they announced on Sunday.

The fund will have an initial equity size of Dh80 million, with matching commitments from KFED and NBAD. The size of the Fund is expected to reach Dh500 million.

The private equity fund will provide equity financing to promising new small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) or fast-growing existing SMEs to encourage Emirati entrepreneurs, they said in a joint statement.

We will develop the Imtiyaz Fund by building and expanding our public and private partnerships and the priority will be given to businesses that contribute to technology and knowledge transfer to the local market," said Abdullah Al Darmaki, the Chief Executive Officer of KFED.

Michael Tomalin, the Group Chief Executive of NBAD said the initiative will further empower Emirati entrepreneurs and enable faster development of the SME sector in the UAE--a sector expected to become a key driver of innovation and economic growth. – Gulf News

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Workers’ wages recovered through police intervention

posted on 21/05/2012

An ardent initiative to ensure that workers in Dubai are paid their wages without default, has yielded good results as more than Dh86 million in unpaid wages was recovered by the Dubai Police during the last year.

The initiative, inspired by the Hadith of the Last Prophet (PBUH) who said "Pay the worker his dues before the sweat on his forehead dries up” has benefited thousands of workers in the emirate, according to the police.

Lt. General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said that the labour disputes are considered by the Dubai Police as cases of security priority.

"They are also the cases of humanitarian importance taught by pristine Islamic culture which makes it mandatory to do justice to the workers,” added Dhahi Khalfan.

The initiative of the Dubai Police was assigned to the Temporary Workers Welfare Monitoring Department, which is affiliated to the Centre for Monitoring Human Trafficking Crimes. During last year the rate of labour dispute cases that led to the stoppage of work showed a steady decline by nearly 40 per cent.

The major part of these cases were related to unpaid wages, while the claims for salary increments ranked second. Disputes over calculation of overtime wages also were among the reasons for stoppage of works, figures showed.

Arbitrary measures by employers, bad treatment, salary deduction, visa cancellation and similar acts also resulted in work stoppages, the police said. – Emirates News Agency, WAM

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New Dubai campaign to target litterbugs

posted on 21/05/2012

With a view to keeping the roads clean, Dubai Municipality has launched a ten-day campaign that will focus on sending the message across to the general public against littering, spitting or throwing cigarette butts on the road.

Apart from school and college students, the civic body has taken on board taxi drivers to help spread its message.

Local Order No 11 of 2003 prohibits littering on roads and stipulates a fine of Dh500 for the offence. Fines for making city roads dirty range between Dh100 and Dh50,000 and can be doubled for repeat violations.

"Our goal is to make people aware and not to impose fines on them. We want to tell them that they should keep the roads clean and through this campaign we are trying to take this message to a large number of people," said Abdul Majid Saifee, director, Waste Management Department of Dubai Municipality.

Taxi drivers are undergoing awareness sessions about the importance of keeping the roads clean and being handed flyers and other awareness material aimed at their passengers.

The campaign will tell people how discarded items or even a carelessly thrown cigarette butt could pose a threat to life besides being environmentally hazardous. The costs of subsequent clean-ups and disposal operations and the poor image of the city they project are also being highlighted.

Apart from littering, we are also telling people not to throw cigarette butts on roads as these can be very dangerous," said Hamda Al Murr, head of the Awareness Team with the Waste Management Department.

Lectures, workshops, film screenings, awareness drives for road users and visitors, competitions and other activities will be organised as part of the campaign.

Special awareness programmes will be conducted in collaboration with Dubai Taxi and Galadari Driving Institute. Al Jazeera University, Salma Al Ansariya School, Asma Bint Abu Bakr School, Creative Model School and many other educational institutions will empower the campaign through various events. – Gulf News

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